A spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed, Monday June 17, the dissolution of the war cabinet created after the October 7 attack. This decision comes eight days after the resignation of centrist Benny Gantz, who was one of the pillars of the enlarged government formed following the Hamas raid in Israel. Israeli media reported earlier Monday that Benjamin Netanyahu announced the dissolution of this restricted group during a security cabinet meeting on Sunday. Follow our live stream.
Joe Biden is campaigning for a ceasefire in Gaza. The American president defended the ceasefire plan supported by his country in Gaza on Sunday in a message to Muslims for Eid al-Adha. This plan provides, in a first phase, a six-week ceasefire accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, the release of certain hostages and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The United States is pressing Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas to formally accept the project, approved by the UN Security Council on June 10. Israel has not officially made its position known, while Hamas has demanded “amendments” to the plan, according to a source close to the discussions.
Relative calm in Gaza. The Gaza Strip experienced a day of relative calm on Sunday, after the Israeli army announced a pause in its operations along a road in the south of the Palestinian territory, where the UN fears widespread famine, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. On the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, the territory bombarded by the Israeli army for more than eight months experienced a day “almost calm compared to previous days”declared Civil Defense spokesperson Mohamed Basal.
“No cessation of hostilities”. The army, however, stressed that there was no “clearly no cessation of hostilities in southern Gaza” and “operations in Rafah continue”. This break “tactical” And “local” must allow a “increase in the volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza”announced the army.
Eleven dead soldiers. On Saturday, the Israeli army announced the death of eight soldiers whose armored vehicle was “hit by bomb explosion” in Rafah, two soldiers in northern Gaza and another who died of his wounds. This toll is one of the heaviest for the Israeli army in a single day since the start of the war.